


Stray

by Yokaibytes



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cat/Human Hybrids, M/M, Some mild violence and angst but it’s mostly sweet I swear. I just live for the drama of it all, cat boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2020-11-28 12:36:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20966675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yokaibytes/pseuds/Yokaibytes
Summary: College student Yosuke Hanamura accidentally befriends a stray cat that may be more than what it appears to be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is 100% self indulgent and unbetad but I hope you enjoy!

College had been a fresh start for Yosuke Hanamura- no one knew him as Junes Boy here. No more dirty looks or harsh comments directed towards him for things that were out of his control. Yosuke had basically cut himself off from his old life, aside from keeping in contact with the few actual friends he had made back in the small town of Inaba. Even then, they were busy with their own lives as was he, so social interaction was something Yosuke was lacking yet desperately craving.

The college student let out a soft sigh as the brisk chill of the fall air prickled at his skin. It was nearly seven in the evening and the sun was on its way down, sinking below the horizon and painting the sky with pale oranges, pinks, and purples. Why the hell had he decided to take an evening class again? Sure, sleeping in was good and all, but he had no free time to relax, cook dinner, play a song on his guitar— not that he knew how to cook or anything, but he sure didn’t have time to.

Due to this, picking up takeout had become a common occurrence on the nights Yosuke had late classes. Tonight he was having some sort of chicken and rice dish with vegetables he had decided earlier in the day, so that’s what he got. Sure, it wasn’t exactly healthy, but it was convenient and he didn’t have to waste time cooking or cleaning dishes. That’s what he told himself anyway.  


After thanking the cashier, Yosuke exited the convenience store, hearing the familiar jingle of bells as the door closed behind him. The trek home wasn’t bad, usually he had his bike, but it had recently popped a tire and the copper haired college student had yet to get it replaced. He would have to walk today. He set a good pace, as the weather was only going to get more cool and he didn’t want his dinner to get cold before he could eat it. Reheated rice wasn’t very good in Yosuke’s opinion.

He was a good way into his walk, losing himself in his music. So much so that he almost didn’t notice the cat that had emerged from the alleyway beside him. Yosuke let out a yelp and stumbled out of the way so he didn’t step on the thing, nearly falling over in the process but he managed to regain his balance and save his dinner from belonging to the sidewalk. Yosuke looked back to see if anyone saw that, but the only thing that caught his eye was the cat he had just tripped over.

Instead of fleeing like one would expect, the cat had sat down and was grooming itself. It had short grey fur that looked quite clean, which made Yosuke doubtful that it was a stray. It didn’t seem to be nervous around people either. It lacked a collar, but he assumed it belonged to someone. 

Yosuke brushed himself off and let out a sigh. The commotion caused the cat to look up at him with piercing silver eyes. “You need to watch where you’re going, little buddy… nearly stepped on ya,” the prince of Junes murmured, as if the cat would understand. The cat curiously approached him, and Yosuke felt compelled to kneel down and extend a hand. The feline gave his hand a sniff before rubbing its face against it gently. Maybe it just wanted some attention? Yosuke’s expression softened as he scratched its chin, which seemed to please the cat. “I’m not really a cat guy, you know. But I guess you’re not so bad, huh?” he mused to the creature.

The cat allowed Yosuke to pet it for a few more moments before it brushed past his hand and sniffed at the plastic bag holding Yosuke’s takeout curiously. “Oh? Did you just want some food off of me then, huh?” he questioned. “You’re lucky that I’m in a good mood, you…” he gave up almost immediately, retrieving the takeout box and plucking out a couple pieces of chicken from it, which he dropped in front of the grey cat. It eagerly sniffed them before beginning to eat, seeming quite pleased. Yosuke couldn’t help but smile as he put the container away. With one last pet, he stood up and got ready to walk away. “You stay out of trouble, now…”

With that, he turned and walked away, resuming his walk back to his apartment. The rest of the night proceeded like normal, the thought of the silver cat encounter easily drifting out of Yosuke’s mind.  


That was, until he began encountering it more frequently on his walks home. It had begun showing up in places closer to his apartment. Maybe it lived around here? Whatever the case, stopping to pet the cat on the odd days it appeared on his walks home became integrated into Yosuke’s routine.

He didn’t think much of it at first, as he probably had just never noticed the cat until that one night. But as the weeks passed, Yosuke felt like the thing knew his schedule. It was probably his fault since he always gave it food and attention every time he saw it, he’d probably accidentally conditioned it to this schedule. So when Yosuke stopped seeing the cat on his walks home during the cold month of December, he started to grow worried about the little thing.

It surely had a home and was just choosing to stay inside where it was warm, right? But there had been multiple occasions where it was straight up pouring outside and Yosuke had found the cat waiting for him under a tree or some other form of cover, not seeming to mind the storm at all. How on earth had he managed to grow so fond of a random cat on the street? Regardless, he hoped it was safe somewhere.

Yosuke’s evening class was let out early on account of the forecast calling for snow so that the students could make it home safely. No matter how old he was, it was still exciting to be let out of class due to the weather. It made him feel like a kid again, in a good way. The copper haired boy zipped up his puffy jacket and slid on his headphones and gloves before embarking on his walk home. He definitely didn’t want to get caught outside while it was snowing and then get home cold and wet.

Of course, it was just his luck that it would start snowing anyways. His face burned as the snowflakes hit it. Some warm, brothy ramen would be fantastic right about now… 

Wait, what the hell was that?

As Yosuke got closer to his apartment, he could see a lump on the sidewalk. Snow? No, it was… grey! 

The brunette quickened his pace, the lump getting clearer and clearer until he was right in front of it. “Oh shit..” he murmured through his chattering teeth. It was none other than his cat friend, lying motionless on the ground. It’s fur was wet and matted from the snow. The poor thing looked like it was freezing. What could he do? He didn’t know where a vet was, and he was pretty sure nothing was going to stay open for long in this kind of weather. Pets weren’t allowed at his apartment, but… what other choice did he have? He couldn’t just leave it here to freeze.

Yosuke unzipped his coat before he gently scooped up the cat in his arms and cradled it into his chest before taking off down the sidewalk. “Just hold on..!”

Yosuke didn’t know anything about pet care. He’d never had a pet before. But now he was tasked with nursing a half frozen cat back to health. He first started with wrapping it up in his heated blanket on the couch. It had warmed up a little in his arms, but not much. At least he could tell it was alive though. If it had an owner, they sure were an asshole for not making sure their cat was inside before the cold weather hit.

While he was waiting for the cat to warm up, he prepared it some food and water. He didn’t have cat food or anything, but he did have leftover chicken that he tore up into little pieces for it if it was hungry. He set the small dishes next to the cat before giving its ears a rub to help warm them up. “Hang in there, you’re gonna be alright.” The cat scrunched up its features for a moment before relaxing, its chest steadily rising and falling. Had it fallen asleep?

Yosuke let out a soft sigh. Was he doing this right? He couldn’t tell what it’s condition was, but at least it seemed more comfortable. Only time would give him the answer he was looking for, though.

The college boy stood up after making sure his newfound company was as comfortable as it could be before he decided to go and take a shower before the pipes got too cold. This apartment complex definitely wasn’t the nicest out there, but it was fine.  


The rest of the night was pretty uneventful. The cat had awoken briefly and drank some water before going back to sleep, so hopefully Yosuke could get it to eat something in the morning. He decided to camp out in the living room, making use of his kotatsu for once while the cat was on the couch so he could keep an eye on it. Snow made things so oddly quiet, it was almost surreal.

Much to his relief, when he woke up, Yosuke saw the cat had gotten up and was grooming itself. “Good to see you’re alright…” the college student breathed sleepily as he sat up and stretched. The sudden movement caught the cat’s attention, it’s head raising from where it had been grooming its belly to look at him. “You hungry?”

Of course, he had no cat food and the weather was way too bad for him to go out and get some unless he was trying to become a popsicle. A quick google search on his cellphone revealed that cats could eat cooked eggs. “Looks like we’re having scrambled eggs for breakfast.”

Yosuke was no cook, but he could at least make eggs without burning them. When the task was done, he shoveled a portion onto two plates and brought them into the living room where the cat remained seated on the couch. He placed one in front of it while he sat down and began eating his portion. The cat sniffed it curiously before beginning to eat and Yosuke silently cheered to himself. He’d nurse his little cat friend back to health and see if someone had lost it. He sure was going to tear them a new one about almost letting their cat die in the cold though.

-

A few weeks had gone by, and the cat had seemed to regain its energy. It was extremely well behaved, not clawing up any of Yosuke’s cheap furniture or smacking things off the counter. It was quiet too, the only noise coming out of it was the occasional purr when Yosuke scritched its chin just right. The cat had settled in well, like it had always been a part of Yosuke’s home. Of course, Yosuke’s search for an owner had started off strong, but with time he was losing hope that anyone would come forward to retrieve their pet and he was growing attached. A voice in the back of his mind nagged at him, reminding him that he could get in serious trouble if he was caught having a pet, but it was so well behaved that it would be nearly impossible to suspect it was even there.

This silver feline did have its quirks, however. It wouldn’t eat any cat food, wet or dry. It would only eat human food. It especially liked chicken, omelettes, and tuna. Yosuke didn’t mind it, some cats were just picky like that, and it did save him the trouble of having to go get cat food when he could just share his own. It also made no attempt to leave the apartment, even when Yosuke left the window or door open as an experiment. Well, it was still rather cold out. 

It also liked to sleep with him at night, always settling down on his pillow, by his side, or on his chest. The college student didn’t mind, in fact, he had grown rather used to the warm, soft presence near him when he slept. Yosuke had neglected to name it so far, on the chance it did have an owner that would come to retrieve it. Once he gave it a name, it was his cat.

“Ah… screw it,” Yosuke murmured to himself one morning as he sat at his kotatsu, sipping on some coffee before he had to leave for class. He wasn’t much of a breakfast guy. The cat perked up its ears from where it was curled up on the couch. “You’re something else, you know that?” the brunette hummed.

That afternoon, after his classes got out, Yosuke stopped by the pet store and picked out a collar. It was a pale yellow color with a bell. Yosuke didn’t know why he picked that one, he just felt like it suited his feline companion. He didn’t get a name tag, as he wasn’t sure what he wanted to call the cat yet, but he could get one another time.

  


“Fits like a glove, hell yeah,” Yosuke beamed after stepping back to give the cat with its newly adorned collar a look over. “Whaddaya think?” 

Of course, the cat did not answer because it was just a cat, but it didn’t seem to mind the collar. It wasn’t trying to paw it off or anything, so that was good, right?

“Guess I have a cat now, huh?” he mused as he knelt down to stroke the soft fur of his new pet’s head. “Was that your plan from the very start? You know about my connections to Junes, don’t you? You know I can hook you up with all the tuna and chicken you want.” The cat flicked its tail and closed its eyes, bumping its head into Yosuke’s palm in request for more pats, to which Yosuke happily obliged. 

His apartment felt way less lonely now. All he had to do was finish up this semester with the cat a secret and he could move somewhere that allowed pets. That was manageable, right?


	2. Chapter 2

Yosuke was not prepared for the sight that greeted him when he pushed open the creaky door to his apartment. The takeout he’d picked up hit the ground with a thud as the plastic bag and styrofoam container squeaked and rustled from the harsh movement. Where he’d grown accustomed to seeing a slender silver cat curled up, he saw… a person. There was someone draped across his couch, fast asleep. The TV was on, which masked the sound of Yosuke’s panic so the stranger before him didn’t even stir. Calling the police would likely be the most logical course of action in response to finding a stranger in your home, but Yosuke was frozen, just staring at them.

The first thing that caught his attention was their silver hair and pale skin. It was a guy with graceful features, who looked to be around the same age as himself. He was bundled up in a blanket and curled in on himself, so that was all he could make out. That is, until he stirred. And two grey ears popped up. Two grey cat ears. Attached to this person’s head. Like something straight out of an anime.

The boy stirred, his face scrunching up for a moment before he let out a yawn, revealing a pair of fangs; definitely not something a normal person would have. He sat up and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before two silver eyes peeled open, blinking before making contact with Yosuke’s hazel ones. The college student stood there in shock, mouth slightly agape as he tried to say something but had no words.

“...Oh,” came there soft whisper of the boy. “You’re home early.” His voice was smooth and even.

“Wh…” Yosuke sputtered. “Who the hell are you and why are you in my house…?”

“Um… meow?” was all the silver haired stranger could offer in response, one of his ears flicking with intrigue.

“I-I’m like, seconds away from calling the cops, dude…!” the caramel haired boy threatened, digging his phone out of his pocket.

“No! Please! I’ll explain..!”

The outburst made Yosuke hesitate. That, and the fact that the stranger had thrown up his arms in alarm, the blanket sliding off his shoulders to reveal he did not, in fact, have any clothing on, from what could be seen. The blanket, thankfully, did not fall that far down. “Why are you naked?!” came the shrill whine of the utterly confused college student.

“Ah..” the boy mumbled as he looked down at himself for a moment before looking back up at Yosuke. “Look.. I’m, um…” he trailed off before gesturing to his neck. There, as plain as day, the familiar yellow collar with the silver bell resided.

“Where’d you get that…?”

“You… gave it to me.”

It clicked in Yosuke’s mind. The silver hair. Those eyes. The ears. “You’re… my cat?!” 

With a slight nod, the figure before him vanished and was replaced with the familiar sight of a silver cat, the blanket collapsing around it as it crawled out from under it. 

“...I’m going crazy. Haha…” Yosuke murmured as he fell to his knees, bowing his head as it begun to ache from shock.

The familiar sound of cat paws padding towards him on the hardwood resonated before a voice, similar to the one belonging to the boy on the couch except much higher now, began to speak. “You aren’t, I can assure.”

Yosuke’s head jerked up to see his cat sitting in front of him. Surely it did not just...

“I’m sorry for startling you…” the _ cat _ murmured apologetically. “I was going to tell you… eventually…”

“Tell me..?” was all Yosuke could manage to echo in disbelief.

“I’m not your typical feline, though I’m sure that’s obvious.” His silver tail neatly curled around his feet as he spoke. 

“What the hell are you, then?”

“I’m Yu, your.. er… cat-person? I don’t know what to define myself as, really. But… you saved my life.” He bowed his head, his ears folding back. “I suppose now is as good a time as ever to properly thank you.”

“You’re… you’ve… really been a person this whole time…? Cat… person…?” Yu gave a silent nod in reply. “And you just… pretended to be a regular old cat this whole time?”

“I didn’t want to startle you.”

“It’s a little late for that!”

“I did not intend for you to learn of my true nature this way.” 

“Well… I guess I would’ve pissed myself if my cat just suddenly started talking to me…” Yosuke’s mind was fuzzy and numb with disbelief. This didn’t feel like it was happening, and yet…

“I understand if you need time to process this. Should I start the shower for you?” the cat offered. “I could prepare dinner, or…-“

“Just. Give me a minute,” he interrupted as he took in a deep breath before sighing loudly. “I have a lot of questions.” 

“You deserve answers,” the feline agreed. “Allow me to cook. We can talk over dinner. I should be able to whip up something with what you have…”

“...Okay,” was all Yosuke could think to say. 

“...One more thing.”

“Huh..?”

“Do you… have some spare clothes I may borrow? I can’t cook like this and, well… I’m naked.”

And with that sentence, Yosuke Hanamura’s brain completely shut down.


	3. Chapter 3

“Uh, I have like, no idea what size you are, so this will have to do...” Yosuke had murmured as he presented the cat with a pair of sweatpants and one of his baggier v-neck t-shirts. He was now seated on the couch awkwardly as he waited for the recently discovered ‘cat person’ to get dressed. 

A quiet musing of, “This is an interesting choice of apparel...” snapped Yosuke from his thoughts. He looked up from where his stare had been fixated- his hands, to see that silver haired boy once again, now clad in the clothing he had given him.

“W-Well it’s not like I was prepared for any of this...!” Yosuke stammered, gesturing to the boy.

“Ah? No, no, I appreciate the clothing. It’s just weird to be wearing some after so long... I’m not used to it. I’d forgotten pants don’t normally have a tail hole.” He gave a slight bow. 

“A.... tail hole.”

“Yes?”

“You have a tail?”

“Of course. I’m a cat, aren’t I?” He turned a little, revealing a grey cat tail poking awkwardly out of the hem of the borrowed sweatpants. He made a show of swishing it back and forth before returning to his normal posture.

“Right. Okay. You’re a person. With cat ears and a tail. That can turn into a cat.”

“Fundamentally speaking, yes,” the cat person replied as if it was an obvious question. “I’ll get started on dinner. You can ask me all your questions then, yeah?”

“Okay... Yu, was it?”

“Mm. Yu Narukami,” he confirmed. “I suppose you could call me... Nyarukami? Narukamew?”

“Uh...”

“You can just call me Yu. Or whatever you like. I don’t mind a nickname.” He gave a soft hum of amusement as he rattled off his puns before bowing and heading into the kitchen.

Yosuke’s brain was too fried to give a proper response aside from a nod of acknowledgement. He watched as Yu begun taking food out of the fridge, along with various cooking utensils. He seemed... already with the layout and where Yosuke kept everything. How many times has he turned into a person while Yosuke was gone? The question sent a jolt through Yosuke which he quickly tried to brush off. That was a question for another time. He had to calm down if he wanted to handle this situation rationally and keep his sanity intact. For the most part, anyway.

A savory smell crept into the living room a little while later, causing Yosuke’s attention to be drawn back to the kitchen once more. He couldn’t tell what Yu was making, but it sure did smell good. He watched as the strange boy stirred something in a pan, his cat tail curling in concentration. He was a tall guy, definitely taller than Yosuke anyways. He also somehow managed to work a bowl cut, which was rather impressive. This was really the stray cat Yosuke had taken in?

Distracted by his own thoughts, Yosuke didn’t notice that his staring had caught Yu’s attention. His pointed grey ears perked up before he tilted his head to look back at Yosuke, who was curled around on the couch, his chin resting on his arm that was draped over the back frame. 

“It’ll be ready soon,” Yu informed him, tilting his head curiously. The bell on his collar gave a jingle as he moved, snapping the caramel haired boy from his trance.

“Ah, yeah, sorry, I was just thinking to myself and staring into space...” he murmured, feeling his cheeks heat up from the embarrassment of getting caught.

The corners of Yu’s mouth turned ever so slightly upward. He shrugged and turned back to the food nonchalantly. 

“Woah, this looks good...! You made this with crap I had in the fridge?” Yosuke exclaimed, ogling at the heap of fried rice that was placed in front of him at the dinner table.

“Mm. Well, that, and I salvaged what I could from that takeout you brought home. That stuff is bad for you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know... I’m just not much of a cooking kinda guy,” Yosuke signed. Was he really being lectured by a cat who was content eating scraps from Yosuke’s said takeout for weeks on end? “Anyway... thanks for the food.” He shoveled a mouthful of the rice into his mouth with the chopsticks. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the explosion of flavor of a rather delicious fried rice made from leftovers. “Damn...!” he exclaimed after he swallowed the bite, slamming his fist down on the table and causing Yu to perk up.

“Sorry, I know I can do better, I just don’t have fresh ingredients...”

“This is freakin’ amazing, dude..!” Yosuke exclaimed happily before he begun shoveling more rice into his mouth.

“Ah?”

“You’re one hell ouffa cook!”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“You gonna dig in or what?”

“May I?”

“You cooked it, didn’t you?”

“Ah..” Yu gave one of those faint ghosts of a smile as he served himself and sat down across from Yosuke, who had ditched all manners in favor of chowing down on the best meal he’s had in weeks. It was way less salty than his takeout and his rice was cooked perfectly. Whatever other seasoning magic Yu performed went right over his head though. 

“So. You’re really a cat person? I’m not just having one hell of a dream right now?” 

“I’m indeed real, Yosuke.”

“Are you more of a person or a cat?”

“Hard to say. I was born ‘human’, I suppose. But I’ve spent much of my time as of recent as a cat. It’s rather hard to conceal these,” Yu explained as he gestured to his cat ears.

“Do you... belong to someone? Like.. as a pet?”

He tilted his head, his hand reaching up and gently touching the bell that dangled from his collar. “Do I..?”

“Y-You tell me..!” 

“Do you see me as your pet, Yosuke?”

The question caused him to nearly choke on the food he had in his mouth. “Wha?!” Yu remained silent, his questioning gaze prompting Yosuke to answer. “W-When I thought you were just a plain ol’ cat, yeah... but I can’t do that to a person!”

“I see.” Yu tilted his head, giving Yosuke a slight pout. “Will you get rid of me now that you know my true nature?”

“I...” the student trailed off as he thought about it. Could he? He’d developed an emotional attachment to Yu, even if he didn’t know that he wasn’t a normal cat.

“..I like it here. You’ve been kind to me... you saved my life. I want to repay you.” He bowed his head, flattening his ears against his head. “Please allow me to do so.”

“How do you intend to do that..?”

“However you like. Think of yourself as my master, I’ll do whatever you ask of me as long as it’s in my power.”

“Please don’t call me that...” Yosuke whined, feeling his cheeks heat up.

“Master?” 

“That makes me feel weird.”

“What would you like for me to call you then?”

“Uh... well, I don’t want to ‘own’ you, or whatever you’re suggesting. You’re a person. We’re equal, so... if you’re so hellbent on staying, I guess having a roommate couldn’t hurt... how about... partner?”

“Partner?” Yu inquired, giving Yosuke a puzzled look.

“I-I dunno, partners are like... equal or somethin’, right?” 

“Mm.. I suppose they are. You’re letting me stay, then...?” 

“I can’t just kick a cat out to the street, can I? What kinda dick would that make me?” 

Yu’s features softened a little. “How about a cat _person?"_

“Well... I’ll make an exception for you,” Yosuke murmured, averting his gaze out of embarrassment. Yu seemed nice enough. He could cook, and as a cat he never caused any trouble. But perhaps it was because Yosuke was so damn lonely in the first place that he decided housing him wouldn’t be too bad a deal.

“Are you positive I shouldn’t call you ‘Master’ then?” Yu asked with a hum, resting his chin coyly on his palm as he hit Yosuke with those silver eyes of his.

“N-No..! Partner is fine..!” Yosuke insisted.

“Alright then... Partner. Thank you.. for everything.”

And somehow, with the way he said it, it almost seemed worse. Was he truly prepared for this?


	4. Chapter 4

It was strange getting used to having someone else in the house, especially when that someone was a dude with cat ears. But Yu wasn’t a bad dude. In fact, he was pretty great; honest and well mannered, albeit a little quirky. He even liked to do household chores like cooking and cleaning. Yosuke told him time and time again he didn’t have to, but Yu insisted on it and he was very stubborn in regards to that issue. It was very nice coming home to a home cooked meal after class.

Yosuke had soon gone out and picked up some clothes for Yu after his true identity was discovered. Despite having multiple options of clothes, Yu’s favorite was a white button up with a popped collar and black jeans that Yosuke had taken the liberty of cutting a slit into so he could poke his tail out if he wanted to. The grey haired boy had been very appreciative of that.

But one thing that had changed for the worse was Yosuke’s sleep schedule. He had grown used to the warm, furry presence that had taken up the bed with him at night, but ever since Yu’s true nature was discovered, he slept out in the living room on the couch. As much as he was embarrassed to admit it, Yosuke missed the feline presence on his pillow as he drifted off to sleep. Purring made excellent white noise.

The brunette found himself reaching out and brushing a hand lightly over the pillow Yu used to sleep on as he settled into the futon. Their relationship was different now, and it would take some time to get used to it, but he’d manage. With a soft sigh, Yosuke closed his eyes and tried to let sleep take him.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he laid there, but at some point the creak of his bedroom door caused him to peel an eye open to see what the commotion was. The first thing that caught his eye were a pair of silver eyes peering at him intently through the now cracked door.

“Yu..?” Yosuke mumbled sleepily, sitting up in his futon and rubbing his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, I’m sorry.”

“‘S cool, I wasn’t asleep yet…” he yawned. “You need something?”

“Ah... no, I was just checking on you.” Yu averted his gaze almost.. shyly? Yosuke didn’t think the weirdo had a bashful bone in his body.

“Oh. Um.. why?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Eh, I’m a college student. That’s pretty normal.”

“I’d like to think I’m versed enough in your sleeping habits to know that you’ve been worse than usual.”

“Sounds like you’ve been watching me sleep pretty frequently, dude…”

Yu flattened his ears, letting out a small ‘purrow’ in surprise at the accusation. “It’s not like that, I just…”

“I’d like to think I know you well enough now to know that you’re not telling the truth,” Yosuke sleepily tossed his words back at him. It was true, Yu didn’t seem like the type of guy to beat around the bush. He was pretty upfront and honest. So much so that if Yosuke asked, he was pretty sure Yu would divulge just about any information about himself, even the most… intimate of details.

“It’s nothing to bother you about, I promise. I’m fine. I just wanted to check on my Mas- erm, Partner,” he corrected.

“C’mon Yu, I’d like to think I’ve been pretty open minded about all… this. So hit me with your best shot.”

“I suppose I just miss the time where you only knew me as a cat. When it comes to certain things, anyways,” the cat boy confessed, his gaze shifting offer to stare longingly at his former spot on the pillow for a moment before he closed his eyes and shook his head. “I will get used to it in time.”

Yosuke caught the look and cocked a brow. Despite being tired as hell and rather stupid at times, he was pretty knowledgeable in the emotion department. “...Y’know, I never said you weren’t allowed to be in here.”

“Huh?”

Yosuke made a point of patting Yu’s pillow before flopping back over and closing his eyes. “Dumb cat, being all dramatic,” he huffed, but there was no harshness to his words. In reality, he felt relieved that Yu had been feeling the same way. But that also raised some questions that made Yosuke’s cheeks prickle with heat. Not tonight. He really needed to sleep. Go away, brain.

Yu couldn’t help but smile a little, quickly switching into his cat form. He crawled out of the pile of now discarded clothing he had been wearing aside from his collar and pushed into the room, eagerly jumping up onto the futon. “I suppose I was being a little silly, huh,” he murmured, mostly to himself as he settled down beside Yosuke’s head.

“Mm. The stupidest,” Yosuke replied groggily, reaching out and giving Yu’s head a good scritch before he sunk further into his blanket and stopped moving aside from the rise and fall of his chest, the faintest purr permeating the edges of his consciousness as he drifted off to sleep.

And like that, the sleep balance had been restored.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my bad for not updating this for a couple months.  
Warning, this chapter contains some violence and mentions of blood/bodily harm. and angst. a lot of angst.

The longer that Yosuke spent time with Yu, the more he got to learn about him. But this only led to more questions. When asked about his past, Yu would avoid the question or change the subject. The same went for questions about his family and if he had one. The curiosity was killing Yosuke, but if his feline companion did not want to talk about it, he couldn’t force him.

The pair had quickly fallen into a routine once the college had fallen back into a regular schedule. Yosuke would go off to class while Yu stayed at home and either cooked or cleaned. Or sometimes, he napped if the sun was hitting the couch just right. It was nice having someone cook him meals after a long day of class and help him with his homework sometimes— Yu was actually very smart! But the thing Yosuke appreciated most was how much more his apartment felt like  _ home _ with him around. Before his arrival, Yosuke basically viewed his apartment as a place for him to eat and sleep while at school. Now it felt like it had life in it.

Things were going pretty good. That was, until one evening where Yosuke was at his desk studying when Yu suddenly perked up from his spot on his lap. He’s ears shot up and he craned his neck to see around Yosuke, staring intently at the doorway.

“What’s the matter?”

“...Someone’s trying to open the door,” he informed in a hushed tone.

“Huh?”

“They’re picking the lock. I can hear it.” His ears twitched before he looked up at Yosuke. “You need to get out of here and call the police.”

“This isn’t a funny joke, dude…!”

“I’m not joking.” Just then, the sound of the front door swinging open caused the both of them to swivel their heads towards the noise.

“Shit..!” Yosuke hissed through his teeth. They were in his bedroom, out of the line of sight from the entrance to the apartment.

“Hide in the closet and call the police,” Yu commanded before hopping off of his lap. It was weird to hear him so urgent, but then again,  _ someone literally just broke into the house. _

“What about you..?”

“I’m going to go see if they’re armed and try to cause I diversion so you can get out of here.”

“Yu, no, I can’t let you do that-

“I’m not asking for permission. Go, hide.” His tone sounded final as he slunk out of the room, leaving Yosuke sitting there wide eyed and body suddenly much heavier.

“Shit…” he hissed before quietly standing up and retreating to his closet. Pulling out his phone, the light of the screen pierced through the darkness. He did his best to shield it with a hand to prevent the light from seeping out from under the door. His hands were trembling, he noticed.

The sound of the apartment door being flung open almost caused him to drop his phone as his body froze up. He swallowed hard, trying his best to keep his breathing under control as his heart roared inside his chest. Quickly, he tapped out the police number and held his phone to his ear.

“110, what is your location and emergency?” the receiver asked.

“H-Hey, uh… there’s someone breaking into my house,” he whispered. “I’m in the Sakura apartment complex, apartment 2-B. If you could uh, send someone, that would be great…”

“Police will be dispatched immediately. Are you in a secure location, sir?” the woman on the other line asked, her tone growing more urgent as Yosuke explained the situation.

“I’m hiding in my closet, I just heard the front door open.” He paused for a moment, hearing some faint footsteps out in the living room. “They’re walking around…”

“I see. Please stay on the line. The police are on their way. Is the intruder armed?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see them.”

“Do you live with anyone?”

Yosuke hesitated. Did Yu count? Did he even have an actual identity? “...No, it’s just me,” he decided to answer. “I didn’t lend a key to anyone either.”

“Okay. Please remain where you are.”

“Got i-

He was cut off as he heard the door to his room swing open. He immediately clamped his hand over his mouth and locked up as he heard heavy footsteps in his room.

“Hello? Sir? Are you still there?” he could hear the operator asking faintly. He dared not answer though, it would immediately give away his location.

Yosuke listened with dread as the intruder began rifling through his things quickly. It’s not like he had much to take, maybe his laptop and his guitar, but he was praying that they did not want to investigate the closet too.

A voice— Yu’s voice, called from the living room. “Hey! Who’s there?!”

The rifling immediately stopped. The intruder seemed to stand still for a moment before walking back out of Yosuke’s bedroom. He could still faintly hear the worried receiver, but it was overshadowed as he listened to each footstep. All he could do was listen now. His tongue felt like lead in his mouth, his jaw clenched so hard he was sure he was going to crack a tooth.

A hiss rang out over the sound of his own heartbeat. “Agh, what the hell?!” Yosuke heard an unknown voice shout, followed by some scuffling. Then, as clear as day a gunshot pierced the air, followed by silence. Yosuke clenched a hand over his mouth, holding back the urge to call out to Yu.

“Was that a gunshot?!” the receiver asked urgently. “Sir, are you there? Hello?”

With trembling hands, Yosuke raised his phone back to his ear. “Y-Yeah…” he answered in a hoarse, trembling voice. “Yeah, I think that was..”

“Please remain calm. Officers should be arriving any second now!”

He couldn’t say anything else. Fear seized his body. The fear was not for his own well being though— it was for Yu’s.

Just as the woman had promised, the police had arrived moments later. The sirens had spooked the intruder into fleeing, but from the sound of the scuffle outside, they didn’t make it too far.

“Police!” A voice shouted. “Is anyone here?”

Yosuke opened the closet door, peeking to see. There were a pair of officers searching the apartment. Yosuke weakly opened the door and stood up, clutching his phone as he shook violently. They immediately took notice of him, rushing over. “Are you the resident?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m the one who called…” he replied meekly.

“We have detained the suspect outside. Are you alright?”

“...Yeah, I’m not hurt..”

“Good. You’ll need to come with us, we have to document your account of what happened.”

“Alright.. um, did either of you see a cat, by any chance..?”

“Well, yes, but…”  
  


Yosuke quickly discovered what the gunshot was for. On the floor in his living room, Yu’s feline body lay limp on the floor, a pool of blood starting to surround him. The wound seemed to be in his shoulder. He wanted to throw up as he stared at the body of the cat— the  _ person _ who had become a part of his life. “Yu…” he whimpered, kneeling in front of him. He stared for what seemed like forever, as if he couldn’t comprehend it. But the faintest rise and fall of his chest caught his attention seconds later. “He’s still alive..!”

And that was how Yu had gotten taken to the emergency animal hospital. The officers insisted Yosuke come with them to the police station so they could file a report of the incident, much to his protest at first. But what would he even do? He wouldn’t have been allowed back where the doctors were working.

He still couldn’t help but sit there anxiously as he waited for the ok to leave after giving his testament. As soon as the officer returned to the lobby, Yosuke sprang up and thanked the officer before nearly sprinting out of the police station.

The run to the animal hospital Yu had been taken to was simultaneously the longest and fastest run of Yosuke’s life. He scrambled up to the front desk, probably looking crazy to the other people waiting in the lobby, but he couldn’t help it. “H-Hey..” he panted as the run finally caught up to him. “The police should’ve brought my cat here…? Small, grey, hurt shoulder…?”

The lady at the reception desk blinked in surprise from Yosuke’s outburst of a greeting, but relaxed her features a little once she processed the flurry of words. “Ah, yes, let me let them know you’re here.”

“D-Do you know if he’s okay..?” Yosuke asked hopefully. The woman gave him a sympathetic smile and shook her head. She was just a receptionist after all. She assured him that a vet would be out to speak to him as soon as possible and pointed to the waiting area, indicating to him to sit down.

With all this sitting and waiting he’s had to do today, Yosuke was sure he was going to start growing grey hairs from stress. “God, please let him be okay…” he murmured to himself as he waited for an answer.

A few minutes later, a woman wearing a lab coat emerged from the back corridor and Yosuke perked up a little. Noticing his reaction, she walked over to him. “Are you the owner of the cat the police brought in earlier?”

“Y-Yeah. How is he, doc..?”

“Well… how about we step into my office for a moment, okay?”

Yosuke’s heart dropped into his stomach. But all he could say was “alright,” and stand up. After being led into an empty examination room, the vet flipped through her notes. “I apologize for bringing you back here like this, but I feel this is a conversation that should be private.”

“Is he…?”

“We had to fight for a long time to get him into a stable condition, he lost a lot of blood after all. Then we had to do surgery to get the bullet out of his shoulder. Currently he is under intensive monitoring, but…”

“But…?”

“We aren’t sure he’s going to make it. I’m very sorry.” The woman bowed her head as Yosuke swallowed hard, trying to digest her words. “Such an invasive wound along with a surgery… it’s a lot for a cat. Even if he recovers, we aren’t sure he’ll be able to use his front leg anymore.”

”I-I see… but you’re saying there’s hope, right..?”

“Well, yes, but…” the woman trailed off, looking down at her clipboard. “...the odds of disability are so high that we feel we should discuss with you another option.”

“What would that be..?”

“...Euthanasia. I know that it’s hard for you to hear that, it truly is a tough decision, but it would ensure he doesn’t have to live a low quality life.”

Pure shock rendered Yosuke silent for a time, his jaw agape. Put him down..? That would be the same as taking that intruder’s gun and shooting Yu himself. Anger flooded his chest, his fists clenching as he tried to keep his temper under control. “...No. No way,” he replied dryly. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure he recovers.”

“..I see. I admire your love and dedication for your pet, Mr. Hanamura.” She began writing some things down on her clipboard. “In that case… we’ll have to keep him here for a little while to keep him monitored while his state is so critical.”

“That’s fine. Please… just help him get better.”

“We will do everything we can,” she affirmed with a nod.  
  


It was so quiet without Yu around. There was no coming home to the wonderful smell of dinner being prepared after a long day. No discussions at the kotatsu over tea. No warm presence curled up by his head at night. The life Yu had brought to the house was gone. He had really spoiled Yosuke.

His new schedule consisted of going to class, then visiting the animal hospital before going home. He was finally allowed to see Yu after a few days, but he had remained unconscious ever since he was brought into the hospital. All Yosuke could do was gently scratch behind his ear the way he liked and murmur words of encouragement for his recovery. Dammit, he missed him so much and he didn’t even fully understand why. He’d been managing fine living by himself beforehand, hadn’t he?

When the day came that the vets said Yu could be taken back home, Yosuke was nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement as they explained the care routine he would need. He was handed a cat carrier and immediately greeted with two familiar silver eyes staring up at him. This was the first time he’d seen Yu awake since the incident. He couldn’t help the cheeky grin that spread across his face as he thanked the vets profusely.

The trip home felt like it took forever, mostly because Yosuke had to be mindful of his pace as to not jostle Yu around in the carrier. He was shaking so hard by the time they got back to the apartment that he couldn’t help but fumble with the keys for an agonizing moment. “Damn it, c’mon…” he grumbled.

After what seemed like forever, Yosuke finally threw the door open with enough strength to almost put a hole in the adjoining wall. He couldn’t care less as he shut the door behind him and knelt down, opening Yu’s carrier. The silver feline trotted out of the cage— purposefully not putting any weight on his right arm he noted. “Welcome home, Yu,” Yosuke breathed.

Yu looked up at him, studying his face for a moment as Yosuke gazed back at him in anticipation. He then let out a soft chuckle, his feline appearance instantly being replaced with his human one. “Yosuke…”

Completely ignoring the fact Yu was butt-naked, Yosuke crashed into him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Careful to mind the shoulder, of course. “You scared the hell out of me, you asshole.”

Taken by surprise from the sudden hug, Yu took a moment to process before reciprocating, nestling his face against Yosuke’s fluffy hair and taking in the familiar scent he had missed so much. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, his voice sounding weak from the lack of use.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he murmured, cradling him as if he’d disappear if he let go. After a moment, he pulled back a little to look him in the eyes. “But if you ever do something like that again, I will personally kill you myself.”

“That seems counterproductive,” Yu mused as he reached up, gingerly brushing a strand of hair out of Yosuke’s face.

“Maybe, but… I think two near death experiences is plenty, okay?” He dropped his head and let out a sigh. “Why did you put yourself in danger like that…?”

“You don’t know that already..?” 

“Huh?”

Yu let out a soft hum and shook his head before a warm expression filled his face. “It was just second nature to me to protect you, Yosuke. I suppose I ‘owed you one’, since you saved my life, but… I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Yosuke stared at him as his words sunk in. “...You’re an idiot, Yu,” he finally murmured, pulling him back into their embrace. “The dumbest.” There was no bite behind his words, though. Quite the contrary, actually. “But… saving my life wouldn’t matter if it meant you wouldn’t be in it anymore, you understand?”

“Yosuke…” Yu whimpered, clutching at the back of his shirt and burying his face into the other boy’s neck. 

“Just… don’t be so reckless, okay?” 

“Mm…” he acknowledged, gently nodding his head. Quiet and muffled by Yosuke’s shoulder, he mumbled “...I want to be with you forever.” With that, the floodgates bursted. Tears pattered against Yu’s bare chest, the sensation causing him to shiver slightly. “A-Ah.. did I say something wrong..?” he asked worriedly.

”No, not at all… I’m just happy,” the copper haired boy assured, raising a hand to wipe his tears away. “And so damn lucky to meet someone as incredible as you, partner. Gotta warm a guy before you say stuff like that though…”

“Sorry… I’m just a simple cat. You’re the incredible one,” Yu insisted. “I’m incredibly grateful for all you’ve done for me.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, you stupid cat,” Yosuke sighed unevenly, his outburst beginning to calm down.

Yu pulled back a little, gently placing a hand on Yosuke’s chin and tilting it upwards so he could look at his face. His silver gaze took in his flushed face and puffy eyes, fresh from crying. “Sorry, I’m just used to doing so.”

“I’ll make you see the good inside of you. Not sure how you don’t see it.. maybe you need glasses.”

“Glasses, hm?” Yu mused, absentmindedly brushing his fingers along the soft, wet skin of Yosuke’s jawline. His eyes flicked down to his lips for a moment, causing him to instinctively lick his own. This action did not go unnoticed by the other boy, and if he hadn’t just been crying the blush creeping onto his face would be clear to see.

There was tension in the air now as they stared at each other, bodies pressed flush together as they held each other tenderly on the floor. It was heavy, causing Yosuke’s chest to feel like it was tightening up. They each seemed to be waiting for the other to do  _ something _ . He couldn’t help but swallow hard before letting a hot sigh escape from his lips. “Yu…” he breathed.

“Mm, Yosuke..?”

They seemed to be inching towards each other as if some outside force was pulling them together. What a moment it would have been… if Yosuke’s brain hadn’t kicked in and gone haywire. What was happening? Were they really about to- oh god. He was now acutely aware of the fact that Yu was  _ very naked  _ and basically  _ straddling him  _ at this point. Immediately panicking, he ended up sputtering out the first sentence that came to mind. “You… are NAKED!”

Yu stopped in his tracks, blinking before leaning back and looking down at himself. “Ah.. so I am.” He sounded surprisingly modest for once. “Perhaps I should go get dressed, haha…”

Yosuke, who was now covering his eyes with a hand, nodded feverishly. “Y-Yeah..!” The warm weight of Yu’s body retreated; he found he… missed it immediately. But he couldn’t say that out loud. Instead, he just listened as Yu’s soft footsteps grew more distant before the door to his bedroom shut, leaving the brunette to sit there on the floor by himself and stare at the door with a sudden coldness to his body. “Shit…” he sighed under his breath. Whatever just happened— or was happening, rather— he sure screwed it up, didn’t he?

Something inside him felt different now. He didn’t understand it fully, but he knew Yu was the source. Standing up with a grunt, Yosuke padded into the living room to get started on making dinner, suddenly feeling much more tired than before.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bad for not updating this for like 2 months. To make up for it I made the thing happen. :3c

“Ugh,” Yosuke sighed as he hit his forehead on the table he was sitting at. Across from him was Yu, who was watching him in confusion. “I don’t get it. I even followed along with a cooking video to make this but it tastes like crap in comparison to your dinners!”

“I disagree. I think you did a great job,” Yu assured before taking another bite. Yosuke had made them hamburg steak along with rice and sautéed vegetables. In his opinion it wasn’t a very elaborate meal, but it’s all he could do on a college budget.

“I just wanted to make you something nice for your first night back. I don’t think I’m cut out to be a chef…” he sighed. “No need to spare my feelings. Vegetables are mushy, rice is overcooked, and the steak has no flavor.”

“This is the best meal I’ve ever had, actually.”

“Bullshit!” Yosuke exclaimed, whipping his head up at the preposterous comment. “You make like, five star meals.”

“Even if I may have more practice cooking, and even if you could use some more, this is still my favorite meal,” the silver haired man repeated.

“You’re just sayin’ that.”

“No, really. Eating something you worked so hard to prepare me means more to me than any afternoon sunbeam on the couch.”

Feeling his face flush with embarrassment, Yosuke let out of huff and looked away. “There you go, saying cheesy stuff again.”

“Even so, I am being honest.”

“...Yeah, yeah. Finish your food, ya dumb cat.”

“With pleasure.”

After cleaning up from dinner, the pair retired to the couch to watch TV for some time. After nearly dozing off for the third time, the caramel haired college student announced that he was retiring for the evening. He gave Yu, who was now in his cat form, a pat on the head. “I’m glad you’re back,” he murmured. “I know it’s kinda early but I’ve been working my ass off to pay for your vet bills. I’m pooped. You can keep watching TV though. ‘Night.”

Before Yu could even find the words to express his gratitude, Yosuke stood and disappeared into his room as a pair of silver eyes watched him go. ‘Thank you’ just didn’t cut it.

_ Ah, right. Perhaps it’s time _, Yu thought to himself as he stood and stretched, carefully hopping off the couch and padding into Yosuke’s room. Thankfully, he had left the door cracked. He found the boy laying on his bed and presumably listening to music, judging by the pair of orange headphones he had on. Faint music could be heard by Yu’s sensitive ears. From what he could tell, Yosuke was listening to the songs he usually listens to when he’s stressed out. Something was bothering him. He was acting weird earlier too, now that he thought about it…

But what right did he have to ask when Yosuke didn’t know a thing about him? That wasn’t fair. So for now, anyways, Yu knew what he had to do. He padded over to the bed and hopped up, landing right beside Yosuke’s stomach. Evidently, the other boy had not noticed his presence until now, as he jumped and let out a yelp.

“Jeez..! Warn a guy..!” Yosuke exclaimed as he took his headphones off and turned off his MP3 player.

“I’m sorry,” Yu mewed apologetically, sitting down and curling his tail neatly over his paws.

“What’s up anyways?”

“Oh, well… if you have a moment, I think it’s well past time I tell you… about my past.”

“Huh..?”

“I’ve never answered you directly about it.”

“...No, you haven’t. But if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to, Yu.”

“No, no. I… I want you to know.” Yosuke stared at him for a moment before nodding, indicating he was ready for him to continue. “I was born to two human parents. I was supposed to be normal, just like them. But while my mother was carrying me, I was cursed,” Yu explained.

“...I see,” Yosuke mused as he contemplated the silver cat’s words with intent. “How did you, y’know, get cursed? The hell’d you do in the womb?”

“...I didn’t do anything. My state is the result of my parents’ doings. I don’t know the details, but my parents did something to anger a shrine spirit. One that so happened to be a cat god of sorts.”

“So why curse you and not your parents? You didn’t do anything.”

“My affliction was their punishment. They were stuck with a son they had to hide from the world. My features bore constant reminders of their mistakes.” His ears twitched and he closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. 

“...That’s dark,” was all Yosuke could manage to say in response. His gaze was trained on the feline as he told his story, features scrunched as he took in every word.

“That’s why I didn’t really talk about it. It’s not enjoyable to hear. Plus, I didn’t want you to pity me. I can’t change the past, the future is what’s important. It’s why I left them.”

“How long ago did you..?”

“As soon as I turned 18. They had only raised me out of obligation, after all. I am their only son. After they had me, they were never able to have another child. I suspect it’s part of my curse. My true nature was a secret to everyone, hence I never got to make any real connections with anyone. We moved around a lot so I went to different schools frequently. After I left, I stayed with my uncle and his daughter off in the country for a little while, but I didn’t want to burden them so I left there too. Then I began living as a cat since I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.”

“Your parents didn’t even try to contact you when you left?”

“Not at all. Not even a missing cat poster,” he affirmed with a sarcastic chuckle.

“What about your uncle and cousin?”

“We are on good terms. I hear from them sometimes. But they don’t know about my situation so living there was like…”

“Pretending to be someone you’re not. I get it.”

Yu nodded, looking back up at him. “And then I noticed this boy, a complete stranger. He rode his bike home the same route every day, always carrying food. But then, he started walking.”

“So you really did just target me for my food!”

“Back then, yes. I was hungry. Hard to have a decent meal when you’re unemployed and living as a stray cat. But he was also quite kind to me, not just giving me food but talking to me and petting me too... it was nice. Then it grew quite cold and I was unprepared. I accepted that it may be my time to go. And yet… just before I did, I heard the footsteps of that human again. You know the rest after that.”

Yosuke was quiet for a time as he mulled over Yu’s words. He couldn’t help but relate, being an only child and having to move from place to place so often that he couldn’t plant any roots, aside from the time in high school where his family hosted an international student. He didn’t want Junes to be his life, so he left to go find his own future and wound up at college. He still didn’t even know what he wanted to do, but as an upcoming junior he knew he had to figure it out soon. “What… what about now?” he finally asked.

“Hm?”

“Have you decided what you want to do with your future now?”

“With all this time we’ve spent together… I think I have, yes.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t want to hide as a cat forever. I want to be out there in the world, working towards a future I can shape myself. With you.”

“W-With me?” Yosuke couldn’t help but echo.

“If you’ll let me, that is. I want to be a true Partner to you. A person, not just a cat.”

Yosuke swallowed hard before speaking. “I’m… glad I could help you do that. Hell, I don’t even really know what I want to do myself. Just been hoping I’ll figure it out, you know? But I think… if I can help you figure it out, I’ll be able to figure it out for myself too.”

“And I’ll do what I can to support you, Yosuke,” Yu affirmed.

“So… you gonna go to college?”

“Yes. I’d like to apply for the next fall semester.”

“Considering how smart you are, I’m sure you could snag some good scholarships.”

“Thank you.”

“...Thank you for telling me, Yu. About your past.”

“And thank you for giving me a future.”

“Geez… I’m going to sleep now. You’re too much,” Yosuke groaned in embarrassment, rolling over so his back was to the other boy.

Yu took this as his cue to paw at the covers until Yosuke huffed and held them up so he could crawl under. He used to do so on nights that were particularly cold, but now it just felt… safe. Yeah, safe was a good word. Right next to Yosuke. He couldn’t help but smile as he closed his eyes and settled in to sleep, only to be snatched up in a pair of arms and pulled against Yosuke’s chest, eliciting a surprised ‘mrow’ from him. The boy let out a grunt as he rolled onto his back with the feline now in his arms, his chest becoming the surface Yu was now laying on.

He contemplated asking about the action but Yosuke would probably get embarrassed and let go if he said anything, so he just let it happen without a word, relaxing into the warmth of the other boy’s body as sleep overcame him.

  
  


A ray of light peeking through the curtains just so happened to fall directly on Yosuke’s eyes, causing him to scrunch up his features before peeling an eye open and letting out a yawn. As his body tensed, he became aware of an unfamiliar weight on top of him. Pulling up the covers, he was greeted with the sight of Yu— not as a cat but as his human self— nestled up against his chest with a peaceful look on his resting face. He felt his breath catch in his throat and his face heat up as he processed the situation.

There was another guy, a _ naked _ guy on top of that, sleeping on top of him right now. However, Yosuke couldn’t find any disgust or repulsion within him; only embarrassment and nerves that made him acutely aware of every inch of contact Yu was making with his body at the moment. And that’s what freaked him out more than anything. This same feeling, it was like the one from yesterday when they were sitting on the floor together. So close, so in the moment…

Jeez. Yosuke set the covers back down and leaned back into his pillow, covering his eyes in an attempt to calm down. Sure, he could’ve just woken Yu up, but he didn’t want to. Something inside him didn’t want to disturb him, he looked so peaceful after all. Did something inside him… want this?

The flustered boy swallowed hard and took in a deep breath as his head swirled with thoughts and feelings he didn’t know how to make sense of. It had been the same last night too until Yu came and talked to him. He could have never anticipated something as simple as feeding a stray cat leading to everything that’s happened.

After a few more minutes of controlled breathing and trying to calm his thundering heart, Yosuke opened his eyes once more and looked down to the lump under his comforter. Suddenly feeling too hot, he took the edge of the blanket and pulled it down to get some air, revealing Yu once more. The silver haired boy only reacted with a slight furrowing of his brows before relaxing once more, nestling deeper into Yosuke’s chest.

His heart was beating so hard he was sure it would wake up Yu any moment now. The urge to reach out and pet him was unbelievably strong now. Would that be weird? He just looked so soft and peaceful, something inside Yosuke just wanted to pet him. Why the hell did he want to pet another boy’s head. What the hell Yosuke. He probably had weird feline powers radiating off of him.

Despite his inner monologue going haywire, his hand found itself sinking into the sea of grey hair that Yu adorned. It was soft indeed. Careful fingers slid through it with the utmost care, making sure not to catch a tangle or disturb him. And then there were the ears. Those damned ears. They were calling his name, and who was Yosuke to refuse that call?

Gently grasping Yu’s left ear, he felt how soft and delicate it was. Knowing how tough as nails the deceptively graceful looking boy was, it provided an intriguing contrast. Of course, having one of your ears grabbed while you’re asleep does typically wake you up, as was the case with Yu who let out a soft grunt and scrunched up his face.

“Mnn…?”

Before he had a chance to pull his hand away, Yu peeled a sleepy eye open and looked up at Yosuke curiously. He then realized he was not in his cat form, and then finally that Yosuke’s hand was massaging one of his ears. He was taken by surprise for a moment, but that feeling quickly dissolved into pure joy. “Good morning, Yosuke…” he murmured, seeming to melt under the touch. “Careful, they can be quite sensitive…”

Yosuke let go, beginning to apologize by stammering, “shit— sorry, I didn’t mean to— I mean—

He was interrupted by Yu grabbing his wrist, needily pulling it back to rest on his head. “Please… pet me more..?” he asked with such earnestness that Yosuke was sure steam would start evaporating off his skin at any moment. Yu was not usually one to ask for things outside of necessity, such as requesting groceries for the meal he wanted to make for dinner, so to hear him practically beg for something like this almost made the other boy flatline altogether.

With a gulp, Yosuke stammered, “uh, sure, yeah…” before hesitantly resuming running his hand through Yu’s hair. The catboy let out a happy purr, leaning his head against Yosuke’s hand affectionately. He had no idea why he was petting him, but this was the absolute best thing he had ever woken up to. He would ask, but he didn’t want to get him wound up and stop the petting.

“So… you really like this, huh?” the caramel haired boy finally managed to ask after some time.

“There is no other place on this earth that I would rather be right now than right here like this,” Yu confirmed blissfully. The words made something in Yosuke’s chest flutter.

“Geez, at least warn a guy before you say shit like that…” he huffed, pinching Yu’s ear and eliciting a yelp from the other boy. This was starting to become a catchphrase, wasn’t it?

“Ah..! Yosuke, p-please… they really are sensitive,” Yu whimpered as he hid his face in the college student’s chest.

“How sensitive..?” Yosuke found himself asking.

“Hm..? Well, the sensation is akin to if I were to, say… pinch your inner thighs? Or maybe your nipple would be a better example… either way, sensitive… you have to start out gentle or it’s very overstimulating!”

Yosuke found his cheeks burning as Yu put images into his mind he was not prepared for. “Geez, you didn’t have to be _ that _specific..!”

“Mmn… I’m just warning you, you’ll get me riled up if you keep doing that…” the silver haired boy warned, twitching his ears to accentuate that remark.

“I don’t even want to ask,” Yosuke wheezed, his head spinning.

“That’s fine… just please don’t stop.”

“I-I will if you keep saying weird stuff like that..!”

“Nooo…” he whined, but it was obvious he didn’t believe Yosuke’s words one bit.

“Weirdo,” the college boy huffed, still continuing to run his hand gently through that silver sea of hair while Yu relaxed, closing his eyes once more.

“So is this like, a cat thing?” came a question from Yosuke that broke the silence that had settled for a few moments.

“Hm..?”

“You’re enjoying this like, a lot. Is it just part of being a cat?”

“...Not particularly, no. Some cats don’t like to be pet at all, actually. I’ve never been pet in this form… and hardly ever when I was a cat,” Yu replied before letting out a yawn. “Before I met you, anyway.” He cracked open an eye, looking up at Yosuke curiously. “You’ve never had someone play with your hair?”

“Um, no? Not like this, anyway. Maybe when I was a kid and my mom was trying to fix it or something, I guess.”

At his response, Yu remained silent for a time as he thought over his words. Wordlessly he shifted and propped himself up, basically straddling Yosuke’s waist as he leaned over him. His calculating eyes scanned over his face as the caramel haired boy gazed back up at him with a mix of curiosity and nervousness clear in his eyes.

Slender fingers slid into Yosuke’s hair, gently threading their way through his copper locks and causing Yosuke to stiffen up for a moment before all the tension in his body left him through a soft sigh. Once he managed to let go of his nerves the best he could manage given the situation, it actually did feel pretty nice. Yu’s careful hands felt great; it was like a scalp massage he hadn’t known he needed.

Noticing Yosuke’s features relax and his eyelids beginning to grow heavy, Yu gave a small smile. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” he teased, voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, I get it now…” he murmured. Yu’s touch was relaxing him to the point where he was at risk of falling asleep once more.

Yu let out a soft hum of victory before a comfortable silence settled over the pair once more. At some point, his hands seemed to wander down to Yosuke’s jawline where he delicately rubbed the pad of his thumb across his cheek. Yosuke scrunched up his face at the sensation before lazily opening his eyes to see what was happening.

The first thing he noticed was the gentle smile that adorned Yu’s normally stoic face. It spoke of warmth and affection so genuine and unwavering that the room around them disappeared without a trace. His gaze then shifted downwards to the other boy’s shoulder. The wound had been stitched up and dressed, but it would be a while before it was completely healed. Luckily, the bullet had missed his shoulder bone and had gone cleanly through so no invasive surgery had to be done and he would heal much faster. There would still be a pretty good scar from the looks of it, though. Yu didn’t have any bandages on at the moment due to the switching of his forms making it inconvenient, so Yosuke could see the extent of the damage.

Without thinking, he reached up and lightly ran the pad of his thumb along the side of the patched up puncture as he rested his hand on Yu’s shoulder. It was a popular expression to say one would take a bullet for someone they cared about, but he had gone and actually done it. He even said he’d do it again. But Yosuke would never let him have the chance to do that. He looked back up to the boy’s face; he was now looking down at his shoulder curiously. A warm feeling bubbled in his chest as he gazed at Yu. One of admiration, appreciation… and most importantly: love. It had taken over his heart gradually and unknowingly— a quiet, gentle love, perfectly befitting of Yu. He wanted nothing more than to be with him, to care for and protect him, to just _ exist _ with him… when the hell had this guy managed to completely steal him away without him even knowing?

It should be shocking to discover one is in love, that’s how Yosuke expected it to be. Deep down, he likely had already known. That’s why he had felt weird the day before; he’d been subconsciously coming to terms with it. Not to mention, Yu was a guy. He’d never found himself batting for that field— he was even guilty of some rude behavior back in highschool towards the subject— but looking into those silver eyes erased any feeling of panic or discomfort at the realization of what he wanted. This… it would be okay. It was different, and new, but he would have a shoulder to lean on and scare away his doubts and insecurities. The unhurt shoulder, of course.

Noticing his staring, Yu looked back up at him and tilted his head curiously. His lips parted to ask a question, likely what Yosuke was thinking about, but he didn’t get the chance to as the body beneath him shifted and he felt lips being pressed against his. His ears perked up and his tail curled up in surprise. Yosuke? Yosuke. This was happening! His hands found themselves wrapping around the other’s neck as he absolutely melted into the kiss. 

It lasted only a few moments before they parted. Yosuke looked up sheepishly at him, his cheeks dusted rosy and his copper eyes shining with emotion. “So um… yeah,” was all he could manage to offer as explanation for his actions.

“...Wow,” Yu breathed in disbelief. “I believe… I just found something I like better than head pats.”

“Oh my god,” Yosuke chuffed in amusement. “And uh, sorry. I probably shoulda asked before I… did that.”

“I don’t mind at all.” His ears lowered and he closed his eyes with a sigh. “You beat me to it,” came an embarrassed admission that Yosuke hadn’t expected.

“Huh? Really?”

“Mm. I was so close to yesterday, but…”

“I… got weird. Yeah. Sorry… I was uh, working through all that. I-I was considering it too. But I didn’t even think I… no, I pretended I didn’t… swing that way. That’s why I had so much on my mind last night.”

“I thought I had been reading the room wrong. I’m so relieved,” Yu chuckled sheepishly before gazing back to him warmly. “I’ll admit it then. I… I really like you, Yosuke. I didn’t want to scare you away, I know the whole cat thing is a lot already, so…”

That was a critical hit to the heart. “You could never scare me away, dumbass. Well, maybe if you tried to kill me or something, but you know what I mean.”

“I would never!” Yu gasped, feigning offense.

“I dunno, that sure sounds like what someone plotting to murder me would say…” he hummed back playfully.

“The only crime I’ve committed is grand theft,” the grey haired boy replied, completely deadpanning.

“Wait wh—

Yosuke was cut off as Yu leaned in and kissed him insistently, his hands sliding up and cupping Yosuke’s face gently. Dizzy from the sudden skyrocketing of his heart, all the other boy could do was accept and return it eagerly. Perhaps it was too fast to kiss like this, but it was evident they both had a lot of pent up emotions they were more than happy to get out in the form of kisses and gentle caressing.  
  


“Guh..” Yosuke wheezed, head more than a little foggy from the other’s intoxicating actions. when Yu finally gave him a chance to breathe. “Waitwaitwait, what did you say about grand theft? What did you steal??”

“Oh? Well…” he trailed off before a playful gleam appeared in his eyes. “I’m hoping it's your heart.”

“...That was so cheesy I think I’m going to have to evict you, dude.”

“Fair.” The smiles they both adorned made it quite clear Yosuke was only joking.


End file.
